Living the Dream?

Mar 12, 2026

Mass MoCA (the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) never disappoints. There is always something novel, challenging, surprising, and off-beat to take in. I don’t even bother to check out their website before I go, because I have found that whatever is on offer is worth the trip.

https://massmoca.org/

This time, I was quite taken by the main exhibit near the front door, which was devoted to the work of Vincent Valdez (b. 1977, San Antonio, TX).

https://www.vincentvaldezstudio.com/

The exhibit sampled from his several programs of work. But in these current times of war, my eye was drawn to The Slaughterhouse-Five Drawings -- pen and ink drawings inspired by Kurt Vonnegut’s novel of the same name.

author photo; note that the white spots were caused by reflection on glass and are not part of the drawing

from his website: “The full suite of drawings reflects ... the external collective psychosis of a world engaged in perpetual warfare.” At the same time, “the body of work coalesces into what Valdez calls a “visual testimony of transformation, hope, love, and survival in 21st-century America.” “

https://www.vincentvaldezstudio.com/projects

Maybe it was my state of mind (conditioned by the state of the world at this moment), but I didn’t see a lot of transformation, hope, or love there. Survival, yes.

But look at this one:

I guess it’s a version of the American story ... from drones and Donald Duck on the left; through Jesus Christ, a homeless man, and Sponge Bob Square Pants in the center; to American Indian children and amped up police on the right. There’s a lot to take in and consider. But importantly, they are on a raft together, suggesting that their fates are intertwined, like it or not.

(I regret that I didn’t write down the title of this piece. It was positioned prominently next to the entrance to the exhibit.)

From the introductory notes to his exhibit: “I am an observer. I bear witness. I am committed to putting it down on record. To testify. I choose to confront the world as opposed to turning away from it.” - Vincent Valdez

Further, it says: “Valdez is committed to confronting the United States. He is driven, in part, by writer Gore Vidal’s statement: “We are the United States of Amnesia. We learn nothing because we remember nothing.”

This drawing is from his series, “Amnesia” (2023 - in progress).

The combination of light blue color, implied movement, and vagueness seems fitting for the cloud I feel is upon us at this time. But Valdez says -- observe, bear witness, record, testify, confront --- and that message inspires me.

This exhibit is on display through April 5, 2026. For further information, please visit his website:

https://www.vincentvaldezstudio.com/

I just touched on a few pieces here; there are many others that will make you think and feel. I welcome your comments about his work.

In the following earlier piece, I described how music can also be subversive.

Watch for more pieces on the ways that music, art, poetry, and other forms of expression can be subversive.

I will close with a piece by Will Bahr from today’s New York Times, about how Minecraft, “the best-selling video game of all time,” is now home to The Uncensored Library, which preserves documents that have been censored or forbidden in their home countries.

https://www.uncensoredlibrary.com/en

There is now a United States wing in this library. From the article: “The new U.S. wing, opening on Wednesday just before the World Day Against Cyber Censorship, is one of 10 rooms dedicated to writings from specific nations struggling with press freedom. Americans may balk that their country shares synthetic real estate with Belarus, Brazil, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, but the team behind the Uncensored Library says this is very much the point.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/arts/minecraft-uncensored-library-united-states.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Things like this do give me hope .... and I write them down here so that I can document and remember them. And just perhaps, they can give you a little hope too.